# ratio (proportion)

a relation that compares one quantity to another

- Computed level: L10 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: everyday  ·  Arena: ratio

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [number](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-number.quantity), [compare](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-compare.relation), [quantity](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-quantity.numerical), [relation](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-relation.association)

**Through:** a numerical quantity is associated with another and compared to it

**Novel properties:**
- relative magnitude
- comparative structure
- quantitative reference

## Examples
- The golden ratio appears in the spiral arrangement of leaves on a sunflower, with 34 clockwise and 21 counterclockwise spirals. *(biology)*
- The debt-to-GDP ratio of Greece reached 180% in 2017, exceeding the Eurozone's sustainability threshold. *(economics)*
- The aspect ratio of standard IMAX film is 1.43:1, differing from the 2.40:1 ratio of most widescreen cinema. *(engineering)*

## Used by
- [meters](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-meters.measurement) (L15)
- [percent](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-percent.ratio) (L11)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-ratio.proportion*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-ratio.proportion.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*